tail boil

Question
One of my gerbils has what appears to be a large boil on its tail. At first it just looked like it had a broken tail, but now the bump has grown larger and reddish.  Is this a concern, will it pop on its own, or is it a sign of cancer?  Other than the bump this is an extremely healthy and active gerbil.

Answer
hmmmmm.. the boil on your gerbils back could be either a boil or a tumor. Without running a few tests it's hard to know off hand exactly what your gerbil has. Since you are saying it's growing, I would personally call a vet's office and find out if you can schedule an appointment for more test to be. If it a tumor that needs to be removed your gerbil will probably be lucky because the tail can be easily amputated and he can still live a very active life. Even if it turns out to be a non-serious issue at least your mind will be at rest knowing he's ok.